


Nothing But Whitebread Left

by Ysabetwordsmith



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: BAMF!Khan, Canon Character of Color, Evil Plot, Gen, Genetic Engineering, Humor, Manipulation, Racebending, Satire, Smart!Khan, Taking Over the World, movies - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-13
Updated: 2013-05-13
Packaged: 2017-12-11 18:12:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/801630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ysabetwordsmith/pseuds/Ysabetwordsmith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Khan has a plan to take over the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing But Whitebread Left

**Author's Note:**

> I've been reading about _Star Trek: Into Darkness_ , intrigued by the trailers but displeased by some of the buzz. I posted about [the racebending](http://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/2826238.html), which led to an interesting discussion in the comments that inspired the story below. Special thanks to Rogan for [part of the description](http://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/2826238.html?thread=13367294#t13367294).
> 
> This story fills the "au: historical" square on [my card](http://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/9070413.html) for the fest.

It was a matter of great irony that this would lead to their defeat. Khan Noonien Singh still laughed about that, sometimes, as he schemed in his secluded bunker. He had learned the secret of their defeat while in prison, observing the other prisoners around him, dumb beasts too ignorant to comprehend the subtle structure of their own slavery. Khan saw it all, though, saw how the bright pictures in the little box enchanted them.

Control the box, control the beasts, control the world.

When Khan finished studying the cultural constructs and completed his plan, he let himself out of prison. It was simple, really. People looked at his muscles and overlooked his canny gaze, saw skin as brown as toast and assumed him uneducated. They thought to guard against a physical attack and not the subtle blade of bribery and manipulation that sliced through their bondage like a wire-knife through cream cheese.

Khan gathered his followers around him, others like himself engineered to be pure and powerful. Among his favorites was an Israeli Augment known as Joaquin. Some might think it odd for a Sikh and a Muslim to be allies, but they found their talents handsomely matched, Khan's long eye for strategy meshing with Joaquin's impeccable grasp of tactics.

Joaquin raised his ebony eyebrows when Khan asked for computer equipment instead of weapons. He followed the orders, though, and soon brought all that Khan requested. It was a simple task for Khan to create the entertainment he envisioned. The movie began to take shape within the computers, vivid and compelling.

"When do we go to war?" Otto asked, his pale forehead furrowing as he watched Khan work.

"Mmm," Khan said idly. He cared little for such things. It did not matter to him how the world was won, only that it came into the hands of its rightful ruler: himself. Manipulation was as good as battle, and so much less messy. Though of course there would be _some_ bloodshed. There always was, at the birth of a new age. "We'll get to that eventually, never fear; but first we have other matters to attend."

"Like what?" Otto said.

Khan smiled, a slow curve of his wide thin lips, his teeth appearing only at the very end, as white as those of a shark. "Why, we create a cinema popularity singularity, with Benedict Cumberbatch and glowing explosions, trenchcoats flowing unbuttoned in a gallant breeze, straight white men touching each other, straight white women revealing their breasts, indeed a sea of white skin as far as the eye can see, all overlain by a dramatic chorus," said Khan. "I believe I shall arrange to have it directed by that Michael Bay fellow."

Joaquin gave a dark laugh. "The masses will be so entranced by the entertainment, it will overload their poor atavistic brains. I must admire your plan, sir; it is every bit as brilliant as that old story about a song destroying the German army," he said with a salute to Khan. "Before they know it, there will be ... _nothing but whitebread left."_

"And then what?" Otto said, tapping his thumb against his pistol.

Khan steepled his elegant, powerful fingers. "And then," he said softly, _"we strike."_

**Author's Note:**

> Read about "[Whitewashing Khan](http://whitewashing-khan.tumblr.com/)" and see the [bingo card](http://startrekintowhiteness.tumblr.com/post/49513634122/a-handy-reference-guide-from-azora-mysta-on).
> 
> The characters came from the episode "[Space Seed](http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Space_Seed_\(episode\))." [Khan Noonien Singh](http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Khan_Noonien_Singh) is a [Sikh](http://www.sikhs.org/). (He was originally played by Ricardo Montalban, a Hispanic actor.) [Joaquin](http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Joaquin), described as Israeli, I have depicted as a [Muslim](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Israel_and_the_Palestinian_territories). (This puts their traits properly parallel: Sikh to Muslim as religions, Indian to Israeli as nationalities.) These two religions [have some tense history](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_Sikhism). [Otto's](http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Otto) background is not detailed.
> 
> "[Nothing But Gingerbread Left](http://tenser.typepad.com/tenser_said_the_tensor/2004/05/nothing_but_gin.html)" is a famous short story about an [earworm](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earworm) that saved the world.


End file.
